This 507-panel system is the largest solar installation on any public school in Vermont to date. The half million dollar project was paid for largely from Federal and State funding, and in part by Green Mountain Power, the utility. Generating over 135,000 kWh per year, the solar energy is expected to cut the school’s electric costs by almost $25,000 annually. A full monitoring system by WattMetrics, including an informational kiosk inside the school, will allow students and faculty to view live energy production of the system.

The monitoring is available to the public at

https://services.wattmetrics.com/dashboard.aspx?siteId=194

Friday’s ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by the full student body and faculty. Senator Bernie Sanders was the keynote speaker at the event, since the project was funded by a $260,000 Sanders earmark. Representatives from Green Mountain Power, the Department of Public Service, Richmond Town Energy Committee, and District Representatives were also in attendance.

School principal, Mark Carbone comments “CHMS is excited to welcome Senator Sanders and other invited guests. This step toward energy diversity brings educational opportunities to our students, as well as economic and environmental benefits to our community. We are very proud to be part of this coalition which brought solar power to CHMS.”

From the Left: Steve Tofel, Van Chesnut, Senator Sanders

As an added benefit, all major components for the solar energy system were sourced from New England.  This includes the PV modules, Solectria inverters, and PanelClaw racking system, all from Massachusetts.  WattMetrics, of Randolph, VT, has provided the monitoring system which is available for public viewing.

Vermont Representative Margaret Cheney said, “Congratulations to ReKnew Energy Systems and to Advance Transit on their successful installation of one of the state’s new feed-in tariff solar projects. Last year we became the first state in the nation to allow such a pricing mechanism for small renewable energy projects. It’s a perfect example of the kind of enterprise we hoped to promote — clean, in-state power that benefits both our environment and the local economy. Advance Transit, in helping to reduce our transportation footprint , makes the perfect partner for this project.”

Governor Shumlin could not attend the event, but did send a congratulatory letter:

The solar PV array is located at the newly renovated AT bus garage complex in the Billings Commerce Park of Wilder.  The PV system was part of a 13,000 square foot expansion that was designed to meet LEED Silver Certification standard thanks to a total energy renovation.  AT’s solar energy system will produce about 38,000 kWh per year which is sold directly to the grid.  This will prevent about 700 metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering that atmosphere over the first 25 years of production.

Advance Transit (AT) is a private, non-profit transit system that provides public transportation throughout the Upper Valley (VT and NH). Advance Transit carries over 800,000 passenger trips per year, making it one of the most productive transit systems in Vermont and New Hampshire. AT has been in service for over 25 years, and receives federal and local government support, as well as business and private contributions.

The FiT and “standard offer” contract became law in 2009 under the Vermont Energy Act in order to encourage the State’s electric utilities to purchase renewable energy.  The “standard offer” contract sets a standard electric rate for both small and large scale production of renewable energy technologies like solar, wind, hydro, and biomass. A handful of states have a similar tariff for renewable energy, but Vermont is the first state to include a long term contract in the law.

The FiT law works by requiring Vermont utilities to pay specific rates for the purchase of renewable energy. The FiT rate has attracted investors to large scale development of various renewable technologies.  Advance Transit saw it as a way to further support their green, community-minded organization.  The PV system was entirely funded by a grant which means that Green Mountain Power’s payments can be used to offset operating costs including energy costs.

From the left: Gov. Jim Douglas, Bob Young (CVPS President)

Governor Douglas helped CVPS unveil their 50 kW photovoltaic array in Rutland, Vermont.  ReKnew designed and constructed this array in 2009 with the help of IBEW, Stafford Technical Center students, and a local Rutland solar contractor.  Governor Douglas called the project a “true renewable education complex.”  The press release (with a link) is below.

CVPS unveils new solar project in Rutland Town

Embracing renewable energy and hoping to educate Vermonters about it, Central Vermont Public Service (NYSE: CV) today unveiled its new Rutland Town solar project and renewable energy education center.

CV President Bob Young was joined by Gov. Jim Douglas and representatives of the Stafford Technical Center and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers – Local 300, who helped build the most publicly accessible solar project in the state.

“This will be much more than just a solar project,” Douglas said. “It is a true renewable education complex, with hydro generation across Route 7, and a wind measurement tower that may be replaced with a wind turbine or two in the future. Together with the educational displays, these generation facilities will educate thousands of Vermont students who will be welcomed in the next few years.”

Along with the solar display, CV installed six museum-style educational displays that will provide visitors with a self-guided look at the array and other forms of renewable energy. While formal tours will be available to schools and other organizations, the displays highlight CV’s power supply history and explain how five different renewable energy sources create electricity.

“We felt it was important to not just build the solar array, but to make it accessible to the public so people could learn about the project and renewable energy production,” CV President Bob Young said. “We are quite proud of the fact that we have arguably the cleanest power supply in the nation, but we also wanted to explain in simple terms the complexities of renewable energy generation.”

The displays are designed for all ages, and provide simple but factual explanations of generation via wind, water, biomass, sunlight and cow manure, or CVPS Cow Power™.

Stafford Director Lyle Jepson said the project afforded students a tremendous opportunity. “Hands-on learning is critical to our students, and this project provided not only that, but an opportunity to work with a major local employer and understand how it operates,” Jepson said. “They got to work with union members, with senior CV employees and with contractors, all of them as focused on the students’ education as on their own jobs.”

The educational aspects of the project prompted special note from the Vermont Public Service Board when it approved the plan last year.

“Unlike most utility projects reviewed by the board, the project is designed to be highly visible in order to fulfill one of its intended purposes — public education of photovoltaic projects,” the PSB said. “The integration of educational materials and interpretive signs into the project design, along with the proposed installation of new plantings, represents appropriate mitigation for any changes associated with the removal of existing trees… Parking and pedestrian access… plantings, and the equipment shed, all designed by local high school students at the Stafford Technical Center in Rutland, are intended to enhance both the appearance of the site and the educational value of the project for local students and the general public.”

Matt Lash, marketing and business development director for the IBEW, which represents about half of CV’s 530 employees, lauded the collaboration, which also included CV Solar and Wind, Sherwin Electric and Reknew Energy Systems Inc. “Our partnership with CV has grown way beyond the day-to-day operations of the core utility business,” Lash said. “CV never considered using non-union labor, which speaks volumes about how we have grown together to serve our collective customers and the state of Vermont.”

The 50-kilowatt solar project includes 264 solar panels, each 3 by 5 feet wide, mounted eight at a time to create 33 individual, stationary modules. Under perfect sun conditions, the project can produce enough energy to power about 50 homes; over the course of an average year, it is expected to provide enough energy to meet the entire needs of 10 to 11 homes. The approximately $400,000 project was funded by CVPS, a rebate on insurance related to the sale of Vermont Yankee, and a grant from the Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund.

Source: CVPS. RUTLAND, VT — (Marketwire) — 06/22/10 –

From the left: David Tofel (Lead Residential Sales), Senator Sanders, Brett Tofel (Principal)

Bernie Sanders met with ReKnew at the Salmon Run Apartment complex in Burlington to publicize the largest solar hot water installation in the history of Vermont.  Sanders helped secure funds for solar hot water projects in four different low-income housing apartments and ReKnew will begin installations at Salmon Run this year.  The Rutland Herald, Fox 44, WCAX and Vermont Public Radio reported.  The original press release from the Senator’s office (with a link) is below.

Release: Sanders Announces State’s Largest Solar Water Project

January 13, 2010

Senator Sees Solar as Alternative to Foreign Oil

BURLINGTON, January 13 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) went to the Salmon Run Apartments today to announce a project to install solar water heaters here and at three other Vermont affordable housing developments.

In addition to the project launched in cooperation with the Champlain Housing Trust, the $500,000 that Sanders secured also will help pay for energy-efficient and money-saving solar water systems at the Highgate Apartments in Barre, Westgate Apartments in Brattleboro, and Applegate Apartments in Bennington.

“At a time when we are spending $350 billion a year importing oil from Saudi Arabia and other countries, it is important that the United States move away from foreign oil to energy independence,” Sanders said. “Programs like this are a major step forward.”

The U.S. Department of Energy grant for solar water heaters will put solar equipment in 80 apartments at Salmon Run in Burlington. The solar grant, the biggest of its kind in Vermont, also will help finance installation of the water heaters in 322 more apartments at the three other sites throughout Vermont. Altogether, some 1,000 residents will benefit from the project that will provide half of their hot water from solar energy.

Since water heating is responsible for as much as 25 percent of an average U.S. household’s annual energy usage, the Vermont project will significantly decrease energy costs while making cutting-edge renewable energy technology accessible to more Vermonters.

The $500,000 grant will be matched by $700,000 in additional public and private funds. A Vermont company will install the solar hot water systems, making the project an example of green jobs at work in our own backyard, noted Sanders, the chairman of the Senate Green Jobs and New Economy Subcommittee.

In addition to the project that the senator announced today, the $787 billion economic stimulus bill that Congress passed last year offers eligible homeowners a tax credit equivalent to 30 percent of the cost to buy and install solar hot water systems. Since solar water heating systems can pay for themselves in as few as five years, the incentives will make this technology more accessible than ever before.

“The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) represents approximately 725,000 members who work in a wide variety of fields, including utilities, construction, telecommunications, broadcasting, manufacturing, railroads and government.”

The Green Mountain State is getting greener as Montpelier Local 300 builds fertile relationships with influential, home-grown renewable energy contractors who are looking to expand with new support from the state legislature.

ReKnew Energy Systems, currently building a solar array for Central Vermont Public Service in Rutland—near Killington ski area—became a signatory contractor last month.

Brett Tofel, who founded ReKnew in 2006, completed 200 residential solar installations before founding his commercial division in 2008. He says:

Signing with IBEW gives us access to a work force that is trained in solar installations as we expand. We’re hoping to build our relationship and go forward with the stability to advance on commercial projects.

While residential installations have been encouraged by net-metering—allowing consumers to recover some of their investment by selling power back to utility companies—Tofel and other renewable energy contractors are hopeful that the state’s new feed-in tariffs will encourage solar, wind and other technologies, energizing the commercial market. Already, the price of solar panels and other parts has been cut in half, he says.

“A lot of players are dropping in on solar,” says Tofel. When legislators see the amount of jobs that are being created and the revenue stream from renewables, it’s likely they will come back with stronger requirements for renewable energy development, he adds.

USA Solar Store, a Vermont-born, expanding business—with 23 shops throughout the nation—has developed a relationship with Sherwin Electric, a longtime signatory contractor, using IBEW electricians on installations.

Dave Bonta, the founder of USA Solar Stores, set up his first shop in 2001. With a background in marketing, Bonta had concluded that the renewable energy industry was doing a poor job selling itself and serving customers. He focused on marketing and answering customers’ questions and less on developing his installation force. After Vermont passed its feed-in tariff, however, Bonta became concerned. He says:

As soon as the country wakes up from the stupor of this economic slump, people will see the great incentives out there for solar installations. I knew it would be a matter of time before I would be without enough installers. More and more customers want licensed, bonded installers who can make safe tie-ins to the power grid, who have a good handle on AC electricity.

A visit from Local 300 Marketing Director Matt Lash convinced Bonta to tap those skills at the local union hall. Lash addressed Bonta’s concerns about unions being “too bossy and too expensive” and his request to keep his existing installers from losing their jobs.

“We hit upon a great feeling of synergy,” says Bonta. The first job combining Bonta’s crew with IBEW journeymen and apprentices was a 10KW array for an architect. “It’s a beautiful thing in every way,” he says. The crews have also collaborated on the array at the USA Solar Store’s headquarters in Weathersfield Business Center in Downers Four Corners and offered vital electrical service to the post office—located in the center—during a power outage. “It would be logical to assume that more post offices would consider moving to solar power,” he says.

Bonta expects his collaboration with IBEW to clinch more residential solar market share due to Vermont’s recent passage of the Property-Assessed Clean Energy Program (PACE). The act enables municipalities to create bonds—supported by the state—that will allow homeowners to borrow up to $30,000 for initial installations of solar. Homeowners will derive immediate savings on energy costs while paying back the loan through their property taxes. “This will drive tremendous amounts of business to our stores,” says Bonta.

Peck Electric the state’s largest signatory contractor, has been “enormously helpful in getting into renewable energy,” says Lash. Peck has three local electricians installing a solar array at Montpelier’s waste water treatment plant and a 60 KW array at a high-rise senior facility in Burlington.

Vermont Business Magazine
Dec. 14, 2009

Stafford Technical Center is as successful as it is today largely in part to the strong relationships it has cultivated with area businesses and the local community. Through the Cooperative Education Program, Students at the Stafford Technical Center receive hands-on, on-site job experience that will prepare them to be vital and contributing members of the community.

Trust, responsibility, fun, freedom and professional relationships are the five ingredients that make up the Stafford Experience. Students are given the opportunity to earn college credit while they are in high school, in addition to the chance to complete an industry certification or license that can be immediately relevant to employment opportunities following completion of Stafford program. Fun is also key in the Stafford Experience. Many students will point out that the freedom they have to pursue their own projects, find their own success and work within the community on site is what makes Stafford so fun and enjoyable.

A great example is the project that is currently underway on Route 7. The town of Rutland is working towards completing one of the largest solar project in the state. CVPS, ReKnew Energy Systems Inc. and CV Solar and Wind are overseeing the construction project with the assistance of students from Stafford Technical Center. This unique and community orientated project highlights the Stafford Experience while at the same time bringing the community the benefit of solar energy.

Educational emphasis has been put on every aspect of this project by CVPS and Stafford. Several parts of the project were planned by the Stafford students, from the landscape design to the signage and shed that will be on site. Stafford’s Landscaping and Forestry students removed trees and redesigned the surrounding area for the project. Stafford’s Electrical and Plumbing students are constructing and installing the solar panels. Architecture students designed the shed that will serve as the educational headquarters for the site after the completion of the project. The collaboration between the students and the community has been mutually beneficial for all involved. The students have received a unique learning opportunity, and the town of Rutland has been provided with a cutting edge solar site.

The site is aimed at being the top educational site in the state for renewable energy. The solar project will provide an example of what a solar energy collector can look like, how it can benefit a community, and how it can be constructed. The clear visibility from the road will help to educate and create awareness to passersby that solar energy is a clean and renewable source that can also be aesthetically pleasing. These features were designed by Students during their landscape and architectural planning. In order for the project to get underway a large section of trees had to be removed. The Stafford Forestry students tackled this challenge and also developed a plan to replace the trees that were lost elsewhere on site. The students learned by looking through the soil after the trees were removed that the area used to be farmland. Old tools and pieces of scrap metal were found in the soil and provided the Stafford students with an archaeological learning opportunity.

Stafford’s architecture students worked on the project from the classroom. They worked together to plan and design the shed that will be on site and will serve as the educational headquarters for the project. Given just the basics of what purpose the shed would need to serve, they let their own creativity and knowledge of architectural detail do the rest. Through planning and teamwork a plan for a shed that closely resembles a sugarhouse was born.

Everything from the dimensions of the building to the window placement was strategically planned by the students. The shed will blend into the landscape of the site and be the headquarters for measuring and maintaining the panels. The energy produced will be measured at the shed and the basics of solar energy and how it works will be presented in an educational manner from the building.

Once completed, the project will include about 256 solar panels organized onto 33 post-mounted arrays. Walkways will be constructed to allow school groups, community members, and passersby to embark on an educational tour of a fully functioning solar site. One that CVPS, ReKnew Energy, CV Solar and Wind, the Stafford students and the community as a whole can be very proud of.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20090728/NEWS04/907280355

This project serves educational as well as practical roles in electricity generation. It was designed to be highly visible by the public and will be used extensively as an educational site for STC. This solar array will complement a nearby hydroelectric station, Glen Station.